Heating mechanism for incubators.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

J. L. MK. I HEATING MECHANISM FOR INCUBAIIORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.5.1905.

1/] --Y///// ll/ JAMES L. NIX, OF HOMER CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEATING MECHANISM FOR INCUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed. December 5, 1905. Serial No. 290,469.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMEs L. NIX, citizen of the United States, andresident of Homer 'City, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Heating Mechanisms for Incubators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in heating mechanisms forincubators, and has for its object, means for supplying the interior ofan incubator with a constant supply of heated fresh air taken directlyfrom the exterior of the incubator, and diffused equally through theeggchamber.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical view in mid-sectionof the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

The source of heat supply indicated in the drawings is the lamp 4, whoseburner is surrounded by a vertical chimney 5 closed at its top, andhaving an outlet flue 6 at one of its sides whereby the fumes of thelamp are conveyed to a point where they cannot contaminate the hot-airsupply used in the machine. Surrounding the chimney 5, I have providedthe jacket 7, open at its bottom as indicated by the numeral 8, andhaving a vertical flue 9 at its top, which is normally closed by thevalve 10.

The heating-jacket 7 is provided at its side nearest the incubator withthe heated air inlet flue 11 whereby the air heated in the jacket 7 isconducted to the interior of the incubator. The flue 11 extendshorizontally into the incubator and is located between two walls forminga vertical flue 12 and the lower ends of the walls flare outwardly intoplates 13.

Beneath the plates 13, and parallel therewith, is mounted a sheet 14 ofperforate material which serves the purpose of aiding in the diffusionof the heated air, and also protecting the plates 13 and theirconnections from accidental injury.

The problem in incubation with which my invention has to deal, is toovercome the formation of localized eddy-currents within the incubator,said eddy-currents leading to lack of uniformity in heat distribution,and to consequent injury to the hatch. The heated air passing into thevertical -flue 12 immediately rises, and issuing from the top of theflue 12, is forced outwardly in every direction to the outer walls ofthe machine, whence it is forced downwardly around the plates 13 andthrough the sheet 14 to heat the eggchamber 15. The air within theincubator is thus kept in constant circulation. The plates 13 beingimperforate (except that they are provided with an. opening whichregisters with the bottom of the flue 12) and the sheet 14 beingperforate, there is in practice a constant radial movement of the heatedair between the plates 13 and sheet 14 to the bottom of the flue 12 thenupwardly through the flue 12, that part of the body of heated air whichpasses through the sheet 14 to the interior of the egg chamber 15 beingequably diffused throughout the egg chamber by reason of theconstruction shown and described.

The flue 11 is extended transversely nearly across the machine, asillustrated in Fig. 1, and the flue 12 is extended to surround the flue11 upon all sides, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The plates 13 will then bemade to correspond to the inner dimensions of the incubator, extendingnearly to the walls at all sides.

For the purpose of additional ventilation, direct bottom-openings 16 arepreferably provided in the bottom of the incubator.

The degree of heat within the incubator is controlled by means of thevalve 10 and the thermostatic connection not shown; this means of heatregulation being old in the art.

I claim:

1. In an incubator, a heating mechanism comprising a heating jacketmounted vertically, and open at its bottom; means whereby the interiorof said jacket is heated; a longitudinal inlet flue extending from theheating jacket to the interior of the incubator; a vertical flue mountedwithin the incubator, and into which the supply of heated air isconducted by the last named flue; a horizontal plate mounted atthe-bottom of said vertical flue and having an opening registering withthe bottom of said vertical flue and a sheet of perforate materialhorizontally mounted beneath, and parallel with said plate,substantially as specified.

2. In an incubator, a combination of a heating jacket mounted upon theexterior of the incubator means for heating the interior of said heatingjacket, an inlet flue extending from the interior of the heating jacketto the interior of the incubator, a vertical flue surrounding the innerend of said inlet flue, and open at its top and bottom a plate mountedhorizontally at the bottom of said vertical flue and having an openingregistering with name to this specification, in presence of two tlfiebofttom of said vertical fins; and a shept subscribing Witnesses. 0 perorate material mounte horizontal y in the interior of the incubatorbeneath and JAMES 5 parallel With said plate, substantially asWitnesses:

specified. H. H. SCOTT,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my B. B. MCCONNAUGHEY.

